The length of time criminals remain in prison should be up to the Parole Board, not the "three-strikes" sentencing law, a Rotorua barrister says.
The worst criminals in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel have notched up 229 "strikes" under the hardline three-strikes legislation - two of whom received their second and "final" warning last year.
The law imposes heavier penalties on repeat violent or sexual offenders, ensuring they receive the maximum allowable sentence for their crimes.
Convicted offenders receive a standard sentence after the first strike, a sentence without parole on their second, and the maximum sentence without parole for their final strike offence.
Sexual offences made up the majority of "strike one" warnings in the Bay of Plenty/Coromandel with 97, followed by robbery and extortion with 70.